Christine Keller's Snapshot of Life at Groom

When I joined Groom, I had 6 years of experience as a lawyer with the Office of Chief Counsel, Internal Revenue Service.  I had a lot of responsibility in my role there and worked on interesting projects, including drafting regulations and doing public speaking.  However, I became curious about what it would be like to work for a law firm and started asking my friends in private practice about their day-to-day experiences.  Although a few of them complained about billable hour requirements, most of them had positive things to say about the experiences they were having working directly with clients in a fast-paced environment.  I decided it was time for me to give it a try.  

Initially, most of the matters I worked on at Groom were in my area of expertise, which was and continues to be tax issues related to health and welfare plans.  I soon learned, however, that although it is valuable to have a subject-matter expertise, it is important to also develop a broader base of knowledge to fully address all of the issues that arise in a particular matter.  Before long, I was expanding my knowledge base to include general ERISA issues and learning about all of the federal mandates that apply to group health plans.  At the same time, the IRS continued to issue guidance in the health and welfare area, and Congress passed new laws, including creating Health Savings Accounts.  All of this presented a great opportunity to develop my expertise in this evolving area.

After I had been at Groom for a couple years, it was time for the firm to evaluate how I compared to the firm's partnership criteria.  The firm recognized that I had worked hard to develop my skills and expertise in an important area of benefits and saw, too, that I enjoyed marketing the firm and helping potential clients understand how we can help them.  The firm made me a partner, effective in January 2006.  Since then, I have become increasingly involved in management of the health and welfare practice group at Groom, which continues to grow.  In 2007, I was named the leader of the group, and now am in a position to help junior attorneys develop their own skills.  It is not all work though—last June, I gave birth to my son, Will, so now I have another important job—Mom!